Dear ICOM Colleagues:

On the recommendation of the Reform Task Force and endorsement by the
membership at the Barcelona Triennial Conference, ICOM is reviewing and
revising its primary documents. At the recent meeting in Paris (June 2003),
a draft of the revised Code of Ethics was presented to the Advisory
Committee. That document will be circulated for comments soon. In addition,
a Working Group has been appointed to revise the ICOM Statutes. As part of
this process of assessment, the ICOM Executive Council has determined the
need to consider the definition of a museum as it applies to the role and
purpose of ICOM. 

As you are aware, the current definition is a listing of museum-type
institutions and services. Discussion in the Executive Council considered
the need to differentiate between the definition of ³museum² and the
identification of persons, institutions, and services eligible for
membership in ICOM. The definition should be adequately inclusive to avoid a
separate listing of unique institutions, but exclusive enough to identify
professionally oriented institutions serving the public interest. Attention
also should be given to the virtual museum environment. ICOM should decide
whether those activities should be included or excluded from the museum
definition.

As a member of the Executive Council and member of the Ethics Committee, I
have been appointed by ICOM President Jacques Perot to gather information
pertaining to the definition of ³museum.² I am aware others have been
collecting similar materials and may have an amount of data on this topic. I
would appreciate your assistance in compiling as many suggestions as
possible so a clear and concise definition of ³museum² can be written.

Please send your ideas, suggestions, recommendations, et cetera to me, Gary
Edson, on ICOM-L, by fax +1.806.742.1136, or by e-mail to
<[log in to unmask]>.

The goal is to have these basic documents ready for consideration by the
membership at the general conference in Seoul in October 2004.

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